Placental structure, function and drug
transfer
Sarah K Griffiths BMedSci (Hons) BM BS FRCA
Jeremy P Campbell MBChB (Hons) MRCS FRCA
Key points
The placenta is the interface
between mother and fetus.
Functions of the placenta
include gas exchange,
metabolic transfer, hormone
secretion, and fetal
protection.
Nutrient and drug transfer
across the placenta are by
passive diffusion, facilitated
diffusion, active transport,
and pinocytosis.
Placental drug transfer is
dependent on the physical
properties of the placental
membrane and on the
pharmacological properties
of the drug.
Almost all anaesthetic drugs
cross the placenta easily,
with the exception of the
neuromuscular blocking
agents.
Sarah K Griffiths BMedSci (Hons) BM BS
FRCA
Fellow in Obstetric Anaesthesia
Queen Charlottes and Chelsea Hospital
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Du Cane Road
London W12 0HS
UK
Jeremy P Campbell MBChB (Hons)
MRCS FRCA
Consultant Anaesthetist
Queen Charlottes and Chelsea Hospital
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Du Cane Road
London W12 0HS
UK
Tel: 44 20 3313 3991
Fax: 44 20 3313 5373
E-mail: jeremy.campbell@imperial.nhs.uk
(for correspondence)
84
The human placenta is a complex organ that acts
as the interface between the mother and fetus. Its
functions are:
(i) gas exchange and the transfer of nutrients
and waste products between maternal and
fetal plasma;
(ii) transfer of immunity by transfer of immu-
noglobulins from the mother to the fetus;
(iii) secretion of hormones which are important
for fetal growth and development.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the devastat-
ing series of thalidomide-induced birth defects
raised awareness of the imperfect state of the
placenta as a barrier to drug transfer. Subsequent
research has sought to elucidate the precise
nature and mechanisms of transplacental drug
passage. There has also been increasing interest
in the deliberate use of maternally administered
drugs designed to cross the placenta and provide
therapeutic effects on the fetus.
This article reviews the structure and key
functions of the placenta. It also summarizes our
current understanding of placental drug transfer,
particularly of drugs used for anaesthesia and
analgesia in pregnancy.
Placental structure
The placenta is a disc-shaped organ which provides
the sole physical link between mother and fetus.
During pregnancy, the placenta grows to provide
an ever-larger surface area for materno-fetal
exchange. At term, the placenta weighs almost
500 g, has a diameter of 1520 cm, a thickness of
23 cm, and a surface area of almost 15 m2.1
The basic structural unit of the placenta is the
chorionic villus. The villi are vascular projections
of fetal tissue surrounded by chorion. The
chorion consists of two cellular layers: the outer
syncytiotrophoblast which is in direct contact
with maternal blood within the intervillous space,
and the inner cytotrophoblast. The intervillous
space is a large cavernous expanse into which the
doi:10.1093/bjaceaccp/mku013
Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain | Volume 15 Number 2 2015
& The Author [2014]. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Journal of Anaesthesia.
All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com
Matrix reference
1A01,2A09,2B02,3B00
villi reach.2 As the villi mature, there is a marked
reduction in the cytotrophoblast component so
that at term, only a single layer of syncytiotropho-
blast separates maternal blood and fetal capillary
endothelium.3
The maternal blood supply to the uterus is via
the uterine and ovarian arteries that form the
arcuate arteries, and from which radial arteries
penetrate the myometrium. The radial arteries then
divide into spiral arteries that supply the intervil-
lous space, bathing the chorionic villi in maternal
blood. The pressure is about 80100 mm Hg
in the uterine arteries, 70 mm Hg in the spiral
arteries and only 10 mm Hg within the intervillous
space. Two umbilical arteries arising from the
fetal internal iliac arteries carry deoxygenated
fetal blood via the umbilical cord to the placenta.
The umbilical arteries divide into chorionic
arteries and end as capillaries within the villi.
Substances in the maternal blood pass from the
intervillous space through the syncytiotrophoblast,
fetal connective tissue, and the endothelium of
the fetal capillaries into the fetal blood. The fetal
capillaries drain into chorionic veins which empty
into a single umbilical vein2 (Fig. 1).
Maternal uterine blood flow at term is 600
ml min21, 80% of which passes to the placenta.
There is no autoregulation in the uteroplacental
circulation and therefore flow is directly related
to the mean uterine perfusion pressure and in-
versely related to uterine vascular resistance.
Blood flow in the uteroplacental circulation may
consequently be reduced by maternal hypoten-
sion and increased uterine pressure during
uterine contractions. As the uteroplacental arter-
ies contain a-adrenergic receptors, sympathetic
stimulation (e.g. by vasopressor drugs) may lead
to uterine artery vasoconstriction.2
Functions of the placenta
Gas exchange
The fetal lungs do not take part in gas exchange
while in utero, so the placenta is wholly
Advance Access publication 30 May, 2014

Fig 1 Schematic drawing of a transverse section through a full-term placenta [reproduced from The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology (8th Edn)
by K.L. Moore and T.V.N. Persaud1 with kind permission from Elsevier Inc.].
responsible for the transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide to and
from the developing fetus.
Oxygen
Oxygen is a small molecule which readily crosses the placenta by
passive diffusion. Oxygen transfer mainly depends on the oxygen
partial pressure gradient between maternal blood in the intervillous
space and fetal blood in the umbilical arteries (4 kPa).
Oxygen transfer to the fetus is enhanced by the Bohr effect. At
the materno-fetal interface, maternal blood takes up carbon dioxide
and becomes more acidotic. This causes a rightward shift of the ma-
ternal oxyhaemoglobin dissociation curve which favours oxygen
release to the fetus. At the same time, fetal blood releases carbon
dioxide and becomes more alkalotic. This leads to a leftward shift of
the fetal curve, favouring fetal uptake of oxygen. This phenomenon
is called the Double Bohr Effect. The transfer of oxygen
from mother to fetus is also favoured by the presence of fetal
Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain j Volume 15 Number 2 2015
Placental structure, function and drug transfer
haemoglobin which shifts the fetal oxyhaemoglobin dissociation
curve further to the left.3
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide also crosses the placenta readily by passive diffu-
sion. Transfer from fetus to mother depends mainly on the partial
pressure gradient for carbon dioxide between fetal blood in the
umbilical arteries and maternal blood in the intervillous space
(1.8 kPa).
Carbon dioxide transfer from the fetus to the mother is facilitated
by the Haldane effect (the increased capacity of deoxygenated blood
to carry carbon dioxide compared with oxygenated blood). As ma-
ternal blood releases oxygen ( producing deoxyhaemoglobin), it is
able to carry more carbon dioxide as bicarbonate and carbaminohae-
moglobin. At the same time, as fetal blood takes up oxygen to form
oxyhaemoglobin, it has reduced affinity for carbon dioxide and
therefore releases carbon dioxide to the mother. The combination of
these two events is called the Double Haldane Effect.3
85
Placental structure, function and drug transfer
Metabolic transfer
Glucose
The fetus has very little capacity for gluconeogenesis, so maternal
glucose forms its main source of energy. Passive diffusion of
glucose across the placenta is insufficient to meet the needs of the
fetus and therefore facilitated diffusion using a variety of glucose
transporters is required.4,5
Amino acids
Amino acids for fetal protein synthesis are transferred from mother
to fetus by active transport. There are several transporter proteins
specific for anionic, cationic, and neutral amino acids. Many of
these proteins co-transport amino acids with sodium: the transport of
sodium down its concentration gradient drags amino acids into the
cells.4,5
Fatty acids
Fatty acids are important for the synthesis of compounds involved
in cell signalling (e.g. prostaglandins and leukotrienes), and for the
production of fetal phospholipids, biological membranes, and
myelin. Lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme which cleaves lipoproteins
into free fatty acids, is located on the maternal surface of the pla-
centa.4 Free fatty acids and glycerol are transferred from mother to
fetus mainly by simple diffusion, but also through the use of fatty
acid binding proteins.4,5
Electrolytes, vitamins, and water
Sodium and chloride ions are mainly transferred across the placenta
by passive diffusion, although active transport may have a role.
Calcium ions, iron, and vitamins are transferred by active carrier-
mediated transport. Water moves by simple diffusion according to
hydrostatic and osmotic pressure gradients. Certain water channel
proteins in the trophoblast may aid its passage.6
Endocrine function
The placenta is an endocrine organ which produces a number of
important peptide and steroid hormones.
Human chorionic gonadotropin
Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is a glycoprotein hormone
produced in early pregnancy by the syncytiotrophoblast. Production
peaks at 8 weeks of gestation. HCG stimulates the corpus luteum
to secrete progesterone which is required to maintain the viability of
the pregnancy.6 Detection of HCG in the urine forms the basis of
commercial pregnancy testing kits.
Human placental lactogen
Human placental lactogen (HPL) is also produced by the syncytio-
trophoblast. It reduces maternal insulin sensitivity, leading to an
increase in maternal blood glucose levels. It stimulates the production
86 Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain j Volume 15 Number 2 2015
of fetal pulmonary surfactant and the synthesis of adrenocorticotrophic
hormones and helps to promote maternal breast development for milk
production.6 HPL converts the mother from being a principal carbohy-
drate user to a fatty acid user, thereby sparing glucose for the fetus.
Human growth hormone variant
Human growth hormone variant is produced by the syncytiotropho-
blast and affects the growth of the placenta itself. It also stimulates
maternal gluconeogenesis and lipolysis, optimizing the availability
of nutrients for the developing fetus.6
Oestrogens and progesterone
Until the end of the eighth week of gestation, the corpus luteum
secretes progesterone. The placenta gradually takes over this role
and production of progesterone increases until just before labour.
Progesterone is important in preventing uterine contractions and the
onset of labour. Oestrogens stimulate uterine growth and develop-
ment of the mammary glands.
Immunological function
Although most proteins are too large to cross the placental barrier,
maternal IgG antibodies may cross from mother to fetus by pino-
cytosis to provide passive immunity in the first few months of life.
The syncytiotrophoblast possesses receptors for the Fc fragments
of IgG; the bound IgG is then endocytosed into a vesicle before
being released by exocytosis into the fetal blood.2 This transfer
starts in early gestation and increases exponentially in the third tri-
mester.7 Antibodies which cause maternal autoimmune disorders
(e.g. myasthenia gravis) can also cross the placenta and affect the
fetus.2
Placental drug transfer
Almost all drugs will eventually cross the placenta to reach the fetus.
In some cases, this transplacental transfer may be beneficial and
drugs may be deliberately administered to the mother in order to
treat specific fetal conditions. For example, steroids may be given to
the mother to promote fetal lung maturation and cardiac drugs may
be given to control fetal arrhythmias.
However, the transplacental passage of drugs may also have det-
rimental effects on the fetus, including teratogenicity or impairment
of fetal growth and development. The greatest risk of adverse drug
effects on the fetus is probably during organogenesis which takes
place in the first trimester. The effects of drugs on the fetus may be
either direct or may be mediated via the alteration of uteroplacental
blood flow.
Three types of drug transfer across the placenta are recognized:8
(i) Complete transfer (type 1 drugs): for example, thiopental
Drugs exhibiting this type of transfer will rapidly cross the
placenta with pharmacologically significant concentrations
equilibrating in maternal and fetal blood.

(ii) Exceeding transfer (type 2 drugs): for example, ketamine
These drugs cross the placenta to reach greater concentra-
tions in fetal compared with maternal blood.
(iii) Incomplete transfer (type 3 drugs): for example, succinylcho-
line
These drugs are unable to cross the placenta completely,
resulting in higher concentrations in maternal compared with
fetal blood.
Mechanisms of drug transfer
Drugs which transfer from the maternal to the fetal blood must be
carried into the intervillous space and pass through the syncytiotro-
phoblast, fetal connective tissue, and the endothelium of fetal capil-
laries. The rate-limiting barrier for placental drug transfer is the
layer of syncytiotrophoblast cells covering the villi. Factors affecting
drug transfer across the placenta are listed in Table 1.
There are four main mechanisms of drug transfer across the
placenta9 (Fig. 2).
Simple diffusion: e.g. midazolam and paracetamol
Most drugs (especially type 1 drugs) cross the placenta by this
mechanism. Transfer is either transcellularly through the syncytio-
trophoblast layer or paracellularly through water channels incorpo-
rated into the membrane.10 Diffusion does not require energy
input but is dependent on a concentration gradient across the
placenta with drug passively moving from areas of high to low
concentration.
The transfer of drugs which passively diffuse from mother to
fetus is governed by Ficks law of diffusion.3 This states that the rate
of diffusion per unit time is directly proportional to the surface area
of the membrane ( placenta) and the concentration gradient across it,
and inversely proportional to the thickness of the membrane:
k  SA  C1  C2
Q
d
where Q is the rate of drug diffusion across the placenta per unit
time, k the diffusion constant, SA the surface area of placental
Table 1 Summary of factors affecting drug transfer across the placenta
Physical
Placental surface area
Placental thickness
pH of maternal and fetal blood
Placental metabolism
Uteroplacental blood flow
Presence of placental drug transporters
Pharmacological
Molecular weight of drug
Lipid solubility
pKa
Protein binding
Concentration gradient across placenta
Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain j Volume 15 Number 2 2015
Placental structure, function and drug transfer
membrane, C1 the maternal concentration of free drug, C2 the fetal
concentration of free drug, and d the thickness of placental mem-
brane.
In the normal placenta, the villous surface area and blood flow to
the placenta increase with gestation. The placental membranes also
thin out and the cytotrophoblast layer almost completely disappears.
These changes increase the passive diffusion of drugs and nutrients
to the growing fetus. Infective processes affecting the placenta may
result in an increase in the thickness of placental membranes which
will reduce passive diffusion across them.
The diffusion constant, k, incorporates various physicochemical
drug properties. These include:
(i) Molecular weight
Drugs with a molecular weight of ,500 Da readily diffuse
across the placenta. Most drugs used in anaesthetic practice
have molecular weights ,500 Da.
(ii) Lipid solubility
Lipophilic molecules diffuse readily across lipid membranes,
of which the placenta is one.
(iii) Degree of ionization
Only the non-ionized fraction of a partly ionized drug crosses
the placental membrane. The degree to which a drug is ionized
depends on its pKa and the pH of maternal blood. Most drugs
used in anaesthetic practice are poorly ionized in the blood and
they therefore diffuse readily across the placenta. The excep-
tion is the neuromuscular blocking agents which are highly
ionized and therefore their transfer is negligible. If the pH of
maternal blood changes (e.g. in labour) then changes in the
degree of drug ionization and transfer can occur.
(iv) Protein binding
Drugs which are protein-bound do not diffuse across the
placenta; only the free, unbound portion of a drug is free to
cross the cell membranes. Protein binding is altered in a
Fig 2 Diagram showing mechanisms of placental drug transfer (A, simple
diffusion; B, facilitated diffusion using a carrier; C, active transport using ATP;
D, pinocytosis; BM, basal membrane of the syncytiotrophoblast; MVM,
microvillous membrane of the syncytiotrophoblast) (adapted from a diagram
in Desforges and Sibley4 with kind permission from the International Journal of
Developmental Biology).
87
Placental structure, function and drug transfer
range of pathological conditions. For example, low serum
albumin in pre-eclampsia will result in a higher proportion
of unbound drug and will therefore promote drug transfer
across the placenta.
Facilitated diffusion: e.g. cephalosporins and glucocorticoids
Drugs structurally related to endogenous compounds are often trans-
ported by facilitated diffusion. This type of transport needs a carrier
substance within the placenta to facilitate transfer across it. Again,
energy input is not required since drug transfer occurs down a con-
centration gradient. Facilitated diffusion will be inhibited if the
carrier molecules become saturated by both drug and endogenous
substrates competing for their use.8
Active transport: e.g. norepinephrine and dopamine
Active transport utilizes energy, usually in the form of ATP, to trans-
port substances against a concentration or electrochemical gradient.
Transport is carrier-mediated and saturable and there is competition
between related molecules. Active drug transporters are located on
both the maternal and fetal sides of the placental membranes and
can transport drugs from mother to fetus and vice versa.
A wide range of active transporters has been identified within the
placenta and includes p-glycoprotein (involved in the transfer of
drugs including digoxin, dexamethasone, cyclosporin A, and che-
motherapeutic agents like vincristine and vinblastine), and the multi-
drug resistance proteins 1 3 (involved in the transfer of drugs such
as methotrexate and HIV protease inhibitors).8,11 The expression
and distribution of drug transporters within the placenta may vary
according to gestation.
Pinocytosis
In pinocytosis, drugs become completely enveloped into invagina-
tions of the membrane and are then released on the other side of the
cell. Very little is known about this method of transfer and about the
drugs which cross the placenta by this mechanism.
Placental transfer of anaesthetic drugs
Induction agents
Thiopental is the most commonly used induction agent in parturi-
ents. It is a highly lipid-soluble weak acid which is 61% unionized at
plasma pH and 75% bound to plasma albumin. It rapidly crosses the
placenta and is quickly cleared by the neonate after delivery.12
Propofol is also very lipid soluble and able to cross the placenta
easily. It has been associated with transient depression of Apgar
scores and neurobehavioural effects in the neonate.
Inhalation agents
Volatile anaesthetic agents readily cross the placenta as they are
highly lipid soluble and have low molecular weights. A prolonged
dose-delivery interval results in greater transfer and therefore a
greater sedative effect on the neonate. Nitrous oxide also crosses the
88 Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain j Volume 15 Number 2 2015
placenta rapidly. Diffusion hypoxia can occur in neonates exposed
to nitrous oxide immediately before delivery and therefore supple-
mental oxygen may be required.
Neuromuscular blocking agents
Neuromuscular blocking agents are large, poorly lipid soluble, and
highly ionized molecules. They cross the placenta very slowly and
pose no significant clinical problems to the neonate.13
Opioids
All opioids cross the placenta in significant amounts. Meperidine is
commonly used during labour. It is 50% plasma protein-bound and
crosses the placenta readily. Maximal uptake by the fetal tissues
occurs 2 3 h after a maternal i.m. dose, and this is the time when
neonatal respiratory depression is most likely to occur. Detrimental
effects may last 72 h or more after delivery and are attributed to the
prolonged half-life of both meperidine and its metabolite, normeper-
idine, in the neonate.14 Morphine is less lipid soluble but because of
its poor protein binding, it readily crosses the placenta. Fentanyl is
very lipid soluble and crosses the placenta rapidly. Remifentanil
crosses the placenta but is rapidly metabolized by the fetus and its
use for labour analgesia has not been associated with adverse
neonatal effects.
Local anaesthetic agents
In order for local anaesthetic agents administered epidurally to affect
the fetus, they must be absorbed into the systemic circulation before
placental transfer. Local anaesthetics are weak bases and have relative-
ly low degrees of ionization at physiological pH. Bupivacaine and
ropivacaine are highly lipid soluble but have a high degree of protein
binding. Some systemic absorption occurs through the large epidural
venous plexuses with subsequent transfer across the placenta by
simple diffusion. Lidocaine is less lipid soluble than bupivacaine
but has a lower degree of protein binding, so it will also cross the
placenta.
Local anaesthetics can accumulate in the fetus due to ion trap-
ping if the fetus becomes acidotic. Ion trapping occurs when the
decreased pH in the fetus produces an increased proportion of
ionized drug which is then unable to cross the placenta.3
Anticholinergics
Transfer of anticholinergic drugs across the placenta mimics the trans-
fer of these drugs across the bloodbrain barrier. Glycopyrrolate is a
quaternary ammonium compound which is fully ionized and is there-
fore poorly transferred across the placenta. Atropine is a lipid-soluble
tertiary amine which demonstrates complete placental transfer.15
Neostigmine
Neostigmine is a quaternary ammonium compound but is a small
molecule which is able to cross the placenta more rapidly than gly-
copyrrolate.13 In a few cases where neostigmine has been used with
glycopyrrolate to reverse non-depolarizing neuromuscular block

in pregnancy, profound fetal bradycardia has been reported.13,15
Consequently, for general anaesthesia in pregnancy where the baby
is to remain in utero, it may be advisable to use neostigmine with
atropine rather than with glycopyrrolate.
Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines are highly lipid soluble and unionized and there-
fore exhibit rapid and complete diffusion across the placenta.
Vasoactive drugs
Sympathomimetics such as ephedrine and phenylephrine are com-
monly used to treat maternal hypotension during regional anaesthe-
sia. Ephedrine increases maternal arterial pressure mainly by
increasing cardiac output via cardiac b-1 receptors, with a smaller
contribution from vasoconstriction via a-1 receptor stimulation. It
has minimal effects on uteroplacental blood flow. It readily crosses
the placenta and has been shown to be associated with a decrease in
umbilical arterial pH, probably through stimulating an increase in
fetal metabolic rate. Phenylephrine increases maternal arterial pres-
sure by vasoconstriction through its direct effect on a-1 receptors. It
has been shown to prevent maternal hypotension without causing
fetal acidosis, when combined with rapid crystalloid infusion imme-
diately after spinal anaesthetic injection.16
Summary
The placenta is a remarkable organ which plays a vital role in ensur-
ing the satisfactory growth and development of the fetus. Further re-
search is required to increase our understanding of the molecular
mechanisms of transplacental drug transfer, and the ways in which
drugs may impact on fetal health and wellbeing.
Declaration of interest
None declared.
Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain j Volume 15 Number 2 2015
Placental structure, function and drug transfer
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